Thermal break bracket for a support frame of covering elements

ABSTRACT

Thermal break bracket to attach a support frame to an attachment wall, made of polymer material and comprising two parts, first and second, in which the first part performs the function of a transverse adjustment element, while the second part performs the function of a vertical adjustment element with respect to the attachment wall.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a thermal break bracket for a supportframe of covering elements of the modular type, such as bricks, panels,plates, tiles or suchlike, substantially of any size and material, usedmainly in the building sector, both public and private and streetfurniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Support frames are known for external covering elements that areversatile, simple and practical to use, and are designed to create,quickly and at low cost, covering structures and facades of buildings tobe applied to the walls.

The covering elements normally have the shape of tiles or slabs of ageometric shape, normally but not necessarily square, and can be made ofvarious materials, including ceramic, marble, terracotta, wood, glass orother.

The support frames normally have a plurality of rapid clamping elements,provided with fins which cooperate by interference with correspondinggrooves provided along the edges of the covering elements, in order todispose the covering elements in a simple, rapid and guided way withrespect to the wall to be covered.

Normally the support frames are constrained to the wall in advance bymeans of corresponding metal attachment apparatuses, which are generallyadjustable on three axes to adjust the positioning of the support framewith respect to the wall in a desired way.

An example of this solution is described in the patent applicationITUD2008A000172.

Another example of a bracket for covering structures is shown in DE 10149 664 that shows a substantially L-shaped metal bracket equipped withadjustment eyelets on both sides of the L.

However, to guarantee these adjustments, in the range of positioningvariability, it is necessary to use attachment apparatuses of a complexshape, that also require a high number of threaded elements to attachthe whole structure.

Making attachment apparatuses entirely of metal has variousdisadvantages, including: a high thermal bridge between the surface ofthe building to be insulated and the metal structure of the supportframe, and therefore between the inside and the outside of the building;low elasticity, so that it is difficult to absorb the vibrations andadapt to the different working tolerances, as well as high productioncosts.

In particular, the thermal bridge is normally created due to the contactbetween the metal elements inserted and buried in the wall, whichconstitute its bearing structure, and the metal attachment elementsinserted in the wall in order to anchor to it the support frame of thecovering elements.

This contact between metal elements constitutes a passage way for thetransmission of heat between the inside and the outside of the building,with negative effects on the thermal conditioning of the internal roomsof the building itself.

Other examples of metal brackets used to make covering structures forbuildings, for example ventilated facades, are shown in U.S. Pat. No.4,442,642, WO 2008/101319 and DE 10 2004 025760.

One purpose of the present invention is to make a thermal break bracketfor attachment apparatuses and support frames for covering structures ofthe type described above that simplifies production and assemblyoperations.

Another purpose of the present invention is to make a thermal breakbracket for attachment apparatuses and support frames that guarantees alow thermal bridge between the surface of the building to be insulatedand the metal structure of the support frame without entailingcomplexities in the manufacturing and high production costs. Inparticular, one purpose of the invention is to reduce as much aspossible, if not to eliminate, the possibility of contact between metalelements of the metal structure of the support frame and structuralmetal elements inserted and buried in the wall of the building.

Another purpose of the present invention is to make a thermal breakbracket for support frames that is extremely versatile and can adapt todifferent configurations required during the installation steps.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention toovercome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain theseand other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independentclaim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of theinvention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, a thermal break bracket to attacha support frame to an attachment wall, according to the presentinvention, is at least partly made of polymer material and substantiallyconsists of two components, first and second.

A first component, facing during use toward an attachment wall of thecovering structure, is made of a polymer material and performs a thermalbreak function between the inside and outside of a building to which thecovering structure is applied.

A second component, or connection component, that can be made of metal,connects the first component made of polymer material of the bracket tothe support frame.

According to one form of embodiment of the present invention, the firstcomponent of the bracket, made of polymer material, has both transverseadjustment elements of the assembly position in a parallel directionwith respect to the attachment wall, and also vertical adjustmentelements.

In one form of embodiment, the adjustment elements, both transverse andvertical, are the eyelet type, made separately on one or more surfacesof the first component made of polymer material of the bracket andpossibly in mating surfaces of the second metal component.

In another form of embodiment, the first component of the bracket, madeof polymer material, consists in its turn of two parts, which are ableto be selectively coupled with respect to each other in the assembly andjoining step to the second metal connection component of the bracket.

In this form of embodiment, each part of the first component of thebracket is substantially L-shaped, wherein a first wall of the L isdisposed, during use, substantially parallel to the attachment wall,while the second wall of the L is disposed during use substantiallyorthogonal to the attachment wall.

In this form of embodiment, in at least one of the parts of the firstcomponent made of polymer material of the bracket, at least one firsttransverse adjustment eyelet is made in the first wall of the L,disposed parallel to the attachment wall, while a second verticaladjustment eyelet is made in the second wall of the L.

According to a variant, in one of the parts of the first component madeof polymer material of the bracket, at least one first transverseadjustment eyelet is made in the first wall of the L while in the otherpart of the first component made of polymer material of the bracket atleast a second vertical transverse adjustment eyelet is made.

In one form of embodiment, in the first component made of polymermaterial of the bracket, which performs the thermal break function, thetwo parts are obtained in the form of a monoblock and are connected toeach other by a connection tongue.

In an alternative form of embodiment, the two parts of the componentmade of polymer material are obtained separately as distinct elementsand are assembled with respect to each other and to the second metalcomponent in the assembly step of the covering structure.

In one form of embodiment, the first component made of polymer materialof the bracket, in the assembled condition, can have, during use, atleast a T-shaped configuration deriving from the reciprocal connectionof the two L-shaped parts. In the assembled condition, the respectivefirst walls of the two L-shaped parts are disposed aligned with eachother and resting on the attachment wall, and the respective secondwalls of the two L-shaped parts are disposed adjacent to each other andorthogonal to the attachment wall, so as to define an interspace betweenthem suitable for the insertion and installation of the second metalcomponent of the attachment frame.

Thanks to the T-shaped configuration, the second walls of the polymercomponent of the bracket define an assembly position of the second metalcomponent distanced from the wall of the building, so as to eliminateany point of contact between the wall of the building, in particularbetween structural metal elements inserted in the wall, and metal partsof the frame that supports the covering structure. In this way the heattransmission points that can create thermal bridges between the insideand outside of the building are eliminated.

The bracket according to the invention can have, during use, at least anS-shaped configuration in which the first wall of one of the two partsis disposed resting on the attachment wall, while the other of the twoparts is positioned so that its first wall is adjacent to the secondwall of the part and the second wall is resting on the support frame.

In accordance with one form of embodiment, the thermal break bracketcomprises at least one fireproof element disposed overlapping at leastone wall of one of the two parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of forms of embodiment, given asa non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first component of the thermal breakbracket according to the invention in one form of embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermal break bracket comprising thecomponent of FIG. 1 in a possible configuration of use;

FIG. 3 is a variant form of embodiment of the bracket in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the thermal break bracket in FIG. 1 inanother possible configuration of use;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the thermal break bracket in FIG. 1 inanother configuration of use;

FIG. 6 is a perspective rear view of a form of embodiment of the thermalbreak bracket;

FIG. 7 concerns another form of embodiment of a component of the thermalbreak bracket.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used,where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings.It is understood that elements and characteristics of one form ofembodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other forms ofembodiment without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME FORMS OF EMBODIMENT

We shall now refer in detail to the various forms of embodiment of thepresent invention, of which one or more examples are shown in theattached drawing. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of theinvention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. Forexample, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they arepart of one form of embodiment can be adopted on, or in associationwith, other forms of embodiment to produce another form of embodiment.It is understood that the present invention shall include all suchmodifications and variants.

FIGS. 1-7 are used to describe forms of embodiment of a thermal breakbracket 10 used to attach a support frame 11 to an attachment wall 60,shown schematically in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The thermal break bracket 10 has a first component 25 (FIGS. 1, 7) madeat least partly, advantageously wholly, of polymer material, such aspolyamide for example, obtainable by molding or other suitable workingprocess.

In accordance with the present description, with reference to FIG. 1,the first component 25 in polymer material consists substantially of twoparts, respectively first 12 and second 13, connected to each other by aconnection tongue 14. In the form of embodiment in FIG. 7 each part 12,13 is made singly, for example by molding, and is advantageously, evenif not necessarily, coupled, during the assembly step, to another ofsaid parts 12, 13, in order to define the coupling condition shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 for example.

The solution shown in FIG. 1 concerns the case, not binding, in whichthe first component 25 in polymer material is obtained as a monoblock ina single piece from molding.

In the solution of FIG. 1, the two parts 12 and 13 have a matinggeometric configuration for the functions they must perform in theiroperative application, as will be discussed in detail hereafter.

In particular, each of the two parts 12 and 13 comprises a first surfaceor wall, lying on a first plane, in this case horizontal, respectively17 and 18, and a second surface, or wall, lying on a second plane,angled in this case substantially at 90°, with respect to the firstplane, in this case vertical, respectively 26 and 29. The terms verticaland horizontal are intended with reference to the positioning shown inFIG. 1 and must not be considered restrictive in the context of thepresent description.

As will be seen hereafter, and with regard to their conformation, in thesolution shown in FIG. 2, the first part 12 performs the function oftransverse adjustment element, while the second part 13 performs thefunction of vertical adjustment element with respect to the attachmentwall 60.

In the solution in FIGS. 3 and 7, as will be seen better hereafter, eachpart 12, 13 can perform both the function of vertical adjustment andalso that of transverse adjustment.

In this case too, the terms transverse and vertical are intended as apreferential function in condition of use, and refer to the positionthat the two elements that constitute the bracket 10 will assume wheninstalled with respect to the attachment wall 60. Any reference toposition is not to be considered as restrictive for the invention, butused only for greater descriptive clarity.

In some forms of embodiment, the first component 25 of the thermal breakbracket 10 is made of composite material, such as for example resinsreinforced with a fibrous material, like glass fibers for example. Inthis way, the first component 25 can have the function of insulatingmaterial so as to have a thermal transmission coefficient much lowerthan that of the metal materials used in the state of the art.

In some forms of embodiment, each part 12 and 13 can have a shape toallow interfacing and connection with the other part 13 and 12 and, atthe same time, attachment to the wall as well as connection with asecond metal component 23 of the bracket 10, described hereafter.

For example, a shape that respects these requirements can be an L-shape,as shown in FIGS. 1-7 for example.

The L-shape of each part 12, 13 of the first component in polymermaterial 25 allows, in the assembled condition, to keep the second metalcomponent 23 at a distance from the attachment wall 60, reducing to aminimum the possibility of any contact between metal components insertedand buried in the attachment wall 60 and metal elements of the supportframe 11, thus preventing the creation of thermal bridges between insideand outside the building.

In some forms of embodiment, by breaking the connection tongue 14, thetwo parts 12 and 13 can be separated completely from each other, so theycan be used autonomously and independently.

In other forms of embodiment, the two parts 12 and 13, obtainedseparate, or subsequently separated, as shown in FIG. 7, can then becoupled and connected in a different disposition from that shown in FIG.1.

In order to obtain a thermal break bracket 10 that can interface bothwith the attachment wall 60 and with the support frame 11, each of theparts 12 and 13 can have connection seatings and possible joint couplingseatings.

In particular, in this case, a transverse joint seating 15 and avertical joint seating 16 are respectively made, substantially in theconnection zone between vertical wall and horizontal wall of each of thetwo parts 12 and 13 (FIGS. 1, 6).

The joint seatings 15 and 16 allow to couple and connect again the twoparts 12 and 13 with respect to each other, after the separation throughbreaking of the connection tongue 14, in order to obtain a thermal breakbracket 10 in a single body (see FIG. 2 for example) but with aconfiguration suitable for the specific operative function to beperformed.

In particular, the connection between the two parts 12 and 13 canproduce a T-shaped configuration (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 for example),that can be used, for example, to support the load associated with thesupport frame 11, or an S-shaped configuration (see FIG. 5 for example),that can be used to increase the resistance to wind stresses that act onthe external covering wall and consequently can cause the coveringitself to vibrate excessively.

In accordance with FIGS. 2 and 3, concerning a T-shaped configuration,the parts 12 and 13, and in particular the respective walls 17 and 18,connected to each other by means of the respective joint seatings 15 and16, define an attachment surface 19 which, during use, can be located incontact with any flat surface, such as an attachment wall 60 forexample.

In accordance with FIG. 2, the wall 17 of the first part 12 performs,during use, a transverse adjustment function while the wall 18 of thesecond part 13 performs, during use, a vertical adjustment function.

In particular, the transverse adjustment wall 17 and the verticaladjustment wall 18 comprise, respectively, a transverse adjustmenteyelet 20 and a vertical adjustment eyelet 21 which allow, respectively,the transverse and vertical adjustment of the thermal break bracket 10,giving the first two degrees of adjustment of the support frame 11. Asseen in the drawings, in particular FIG. 1, in the monoblock productionconformation, the eyelets 20 and 21 have a reciprocally substantiallyperpendicular development.

In the solution shown in FIG. 3, instead, both walls 17 and 18, disposedin contact with the attachment wall 60, of the parts 12 and 13 perform atransverse adjustment function, having respective transverse adjustmenteyelets 20, while the walls 26, 29 orthogonal to them, described ingreater detail hereafter, perform a vertical adjustment function, havingrespective vertical adjustment eyelets 21.

In some forms of embodiment, the T-shaped configuration of the polymericcomponent 25 of the thermal break bracket 10 defines an element 22orthogonal to the attachment surface 19, therefore orthogonal to theattachment wall 60, defined by the parallel and adjacent positioning ofthe two walls 26, 29. The orthogonal element 22 defines, in the spacebetween the walls 26, 29, a sliding fissure or interspace 24 that canhouse at least part of said second metal component 23, used for thecoupling and connection of the first polymeric component 25 and thesupport frame 11.

The second metal component 23 can translate orthogonally with respect tothe plane on which the wall lies, allowing both a vertical adjustmentand an adjustment of the amplitude of the space between the attachmentwall 60 of the building to be insulated and the covering of thebuilding.

In this way, in addition to the transverse and vertical adjustments, athird degree of adjustment is obtained, defined by the distance betweensupport frame 11 and attachment wall 60.

In accordance with FIG. 1, the wall 26 can have, in correspondence toone of its upper transverse ends 27, a transverse aperture 28, such as ahole for example, through in the thickness of the transverse assemblywall 26.

Moreover, still in accordance with FIG. 1, the wall 29 in correspondencewith an upper vertical end 30, has a vertical aperture 31, such as ahole for example, through in the thickness of the vertical assembly wall29.

In some forms of embodiment, the two apertures 28 and 31 can be providedon the axis of symmetry of the respective assembly walls 26 and 29;according to a variant, they can be disposed in different positions fromthose shown, provided that the two apertures 28 and 31 are disposedaligned with respect to each other when the two parts 12 and 13 aredisposed in the T-shaped configuration.

In the T-shaped configuration (FIGS. 2 and 3), in order to clamp themetal component 23 in the interspace 24, attachment elements can beused, such as for example threaded screws, passing through the apertures28 and 31 to determine a stable position of the metal component 23. Thediameter of the apertures 28 and 31 can therefore be variable, as afunction of the type of attachment element used.

In some forms of embodiment, in order to facilitate the insertion of theattachment elements, it is possible to provide a lead-in in theapertures 28 and 31 as above.

According to the present description and with reference for example toFIG. 1, the transverse adjustment eyelets 20 and the vertical adjustmenteyelets 21 are like through apertures in the thickness of therespectively transverse and vertical adjustment walls 17, 18, 26, 29.The eyelets 20 and 21 can both have an oblong extension in thedirection, respectively, transverse and vertical with respect to theattachment wall 60, in order to allow to adjust the position of thethermal break bracket 10. In particular, the eyelets 20 and 21 aredesigned to house the attachment elements, such as threaded screws,which can allow connection of the thermal break bracket 10 to theattachment wall 60 (see for example FIGS. 2-4). In particular, theadjustment of the position of the thermal break bracket 10 can be madeby sliding the attachment elements inside the eyelets 20 and 21 untilthe optimum position is determined.

As can be seen from the solution in FIG. 3, the transverse adjustmenteyelets 20 allow to correctly position the polymer component 25 withrespect to the attachment wall 60. The vertical adjustment eyelets 21allow to correctly position, in a vertical direction, the second metalcomponent 23 with respect to the polymer component 25.

The clamping of the first polymer component 25 and the second metalcomponent 23 is obtained also with the assistance of anchoring screws66, insertable through insertion holes 65 aligned between parts 12, 13of the first polymer component 25 and corresponding holes present in thesecond metal component 23.

In some forms of embodiment, the wall 26, which during use is disposedorthogonally to the attachment wall 60, can house a fireproof element 32(FIG. 2), which also has a bracket or L shape and can be made of metalmaterial. The main purpose of the fireproof element 32 is to staticallysupport the support frame 11 of the covering if the polymer component 25starts to melt due to fire. If the polymer material melts, theattachment plugs can rest against the fireproof element 32, transmittingthe loads and thus allowing to at least temporarily support thestructure.

This causes an increase in the fireproof properties of the bracket 10 interms of safety times.

Another function of the fireproof element 32 is to prevent the fall ofdrops of melted composite material as a consequence of overheating incorrespondence with the polymer component 25 of the thermal breakbracket 10.

The fireproof element 32 comprises a transverse fireproof wall 33 and anorthogonal fireproof wall 34.

The fireproof element 32 can be mounted overlapping with the first part12 of the polymer component 25. To do this, compatibly with the shape ofthe first part 12, the fireproof element 32 comprises, at the end of theorthogonal fireproof wall 34, an aperture 35, such as for example a holewhich, in the T-shaped configuration of the thermal break bracket 10,can be aligned and interacting in size and position with the apertures28 and 31 as above.

With this configuration, a coupling element, such as a threaded element,can pass through the apertures 28, 31 and 35, attaching both thefireproof element 32 and the second metal component 23.

The transverse fireproof wall 33 also comprises an eyelet 36 with a sizeat least equal to that of the transverse adjustment eyelet 20 of thefirst part 12.

In some forms of embodiment, the transverse adjustment wall 17 can havea greater thickness around the transverse adjustment eyelet 20, thusgenerating a raised area 37 that can have a peripheral shape such as togenerate interaction with the eyelet 36, in particular joint or similarforms of attachment and insertion.

In other forms of embodiment, the raised area 37 can have a thicknesscompatible with the thickness of the fireproof element 32, or different.

In other forms of embodiment, the raised area 37 can have a surface areawith a rectangular or oblong shape, or shapes compatible with thetransverse adjustment eyelet 20.

According to the present description, and purely for the purpose ofclarifying FIG. 2, the first part 12 and the second part 13 of thepolymer component 25 of the thermal break bracket 10 comprise supportelements, respectively transverse 38 and vertical 39.

In particular the support elements 38 and 39 can have a shape such as toincrease the robustness of the individual parts 12 and 13 and theircapacity for supporting loads.

A shape compatible with these requirements can be a triangle, such as anisosceles or right triangle, disposed so as to make the other sidesadhere to the surfaces of the walls affected by said advantageouseffect, and the hypotenuse exposed toward the external environment.

The support elements 38 and 39 can have a variable thickness, which canalso be the same as that of the walls that make up the elements 12 and13 of the polymer component 25 of the thermal break bracket 10.

In some forms of embodiment, and with reference for example to FIG. 1,the support elements 38 and 39 can be in contact respectively with thefront surface of the orthogonal wall 26 and the upper surface of thetransverse adjustment wall 17, and with the front surface of theorthogonal wall 29 and upper surface of the transverse or verticaladjustment wall 18.

In some forms of embodiment, the transverse assembly wall 26, thetransverse adjustment wall 17 and the support elements 38 can constitutea single body of the first part 12 and are connected to each other byconnections with a radius suitable to prevent the formation of deadangles. In the same way, the vertical assembly wall 29, the transverseor vertical adjustment wall 18 and the support elements 39 canconstitute a single body of the second part 13 and are connected to eachother by connections with a radius suitable to prevent the formation ofdead angles.

In some forms of embodiment, the size in surface terms of the verticalsupport elements 39 can be less than the size of the transverse supportelements 38: this is for reasons of industrial requirements for theproduction of the vertical adjustment eyelet 21.

In some forms of embodiment, and with reference to FIG. 1 for example,in the rear part of the transverse assembly wall 26, the first part 12has the transverse joint seating 15 described above.

The transverse joint seating 15 has a transverse tongue 40, parallel tothe transverse adjustment wall 17, which extends with a length that cancorrespond to that of the transverse assembly wall 26 in the verticaldirection. In some forms of embodiment, the thickness of the tongue canvary from a few millimeters to a few centimeters and the amplitude canbe a few millimeters, preferably 5-6 millimeters.

The transverse tongue 40 is connected to the transverse assembly wall 26in correspondence with a lower transverse end 41 and located at adistance from the transverse rear edge 42, in the direction orthogonalto the attachment wall, equal to the thickness of the mating verticaljoint seating provided on the second part 13.

In some forms of embodiment, in correspondence with the connection withthe transverse assembly wall 26, the tongue 40 can have at least a jointaperture 43, in this case two apertures 43. In some forms of embodiment,the joint apertures 43 can be made through or blind in the thickness ofthe tongue 40 and can have a rectangular or oblong shape for example.

In some forms of embodiment, and with reference to FIG. 1, in the rearpart of the vertical assembly wall 29 the second part 13 has thevertical joint seating 16, with a shape such that it can mate with thetransverse joint seating 15 (see FIG. 6 for example).

The vertical joint seating 16, in this case, has a rear tongue 44 and ajoint tongue 45, parallel to the vertical adjustment wall 18, whichextend with a length that can correspond to that of the transverseassembly wall 26 in the vertical direction.

The rear tongue 44 is connected to the vertical assembly wall 29 incorrespondence with a vertical lower end 46 and is located on thetransverse rear edge 42, configured as an extension in the transversedirection of the vertical adjustment wall 18.

The joint tongue 45 is connected to the transverse assembly wall 26 incorrespondence with a vertical lower end 46 and located at a distancefrom the transverse rear edge 42, in a direction orthogonal to theattachment wall, equal to the sum of the thickness of the transversetongue 40 and the rear tongue 44.

In some forms of embodiment, the joint tongue 45 can be discontinuous,since it can have at least one joint element 48, in this case two,compatible with the joint apertures 43.

In some forms of embodiment, the two tongues 44 and 45 define betweenthem an interspace 47, such as for example a fissure, that extends forthe entire length of the tongues 44 and 45. The interspace 47 has ashape and size such as to house the transverse tongue 40 inside it andthe apertures 43 of the transverse tongue 40 are such as to be able tohouse the joint elements 48, so as to obtain a stable connection betweenthe first part 12 and the second part 13.

In some forms of embodiment, the interspace 24 has a thicknesscorresponding to the amplitude of the tongues 40, 44 and 45 with respectto the respective transverse and vertical assembly walls 26 and 29.

In some forms of embodiment, it may be convenient to use two polymercomponents 25, operating on the same metal component 23 with the purposeof increasing the structure's resistance to stresses.

In other forms of embodiment, it can be advantageous to use the thermalbreak bracket 10 both to attach the vertical profile (see FIGS. 1-4),and also the horizontal profile of the support frame 11 (see FIG. 5 forexample).

In some forms of embodiment, and in particular in the S-shapedconfiguration, the second part 13 can be positioned in the same way asin the T-shaped configuration, in particular so that the verticaladjustment wall 18 rests against the attachment wall 60, giving thepossibility of making the vertical adjustment of the apparatus in thisconfiguration.

The first part 12 is disposed instead so that the transverse adjustmentwall 17 is adjacent to the vertical assembly wall 29 of the second part13, and such that the transverse adjustment eyelet 20 is aligned withthe vertical aperture 31, so as to allow connection of the two parts 12and 13 by coupling elements, such as for example threaded elements (seeFIG. 2 for example).

The transverse assembly wall 26 is instead put resting on the supportframe 11 and is connected to it by coupling elements such as threadedscrews.

According to the present description, and with reference to FIGS. 2 and3 for example, the second metal component 23 comprises a first flap 49and a second flap 50.

The insertion in this case of one flap or the other 49, 50 inside theinterspace 24 allows to produce another two configurations (see FIGS. 2and 4 for example). The first of them is such that the first flap 49 isinserted into the interspace 24 (FIG. 2) while the second is such thatthe second flap 50 is inserted into the interspace 24 (FIG. 3). The twoconfigurations differ by a distance D (FIG. 5), which can be createdbetween the attachment wall 60 of the building to be insulated and themetal structure of the support frame 11 according to the asymmetricalconfiguration of the metal component 23.

In particular, in the configuration in FIG. 2, like that in FIG. 3, agreater distance D can be generated that is compatible with bigthicknesses of the insulating material; this solution can be used tocreate external coverings associated with the insulation of spaces thatrequire a high quality insulation, such as bedrooms for example.

In the configuration in FIG. 4, instead, a reduced distance D can begenerated, compatible with using smaller thicknesses of the insulatingmaterial; this solution can be used for example to create externalcoverings associated with the insulation of stairwells.

The first flap 49 can have a quadrangular shape, for example square orrectangular; it comprises at least one hole 51 to attach it to the frame11, in this case four holes, and an orthogonal sliding eyelet 52,through in the thickness of the wall of the flap 49 and having an oblongshape in a direction orthogonal with respect to the attachment wall.

The eyelet 52 can have a shape and size such that it can interact withthe interspace 24 and in particular with the apertures 28 and 31,respectively, of the two parts 12 and 13 of the first polymer component25, to allow the insertion of coupling elements, such as for examplethreaded elements, to couple the metal component 23 to the polymercomponent 25 of the thermal break bracket 10.

The second flap 50 comprises a quadrangular segment 53, which is beveledon one side in FIG. 3, in this case on the left, for example having asquare or rectangular shape, and a rectangular segment 55. The segment53 comprises at least one hole 51, in this case four holes, and atransverse sliding eyelet 54 through in the thickness of the walls andhaving an oblong shape in a transverse direction with respect to theattachment wall 60; on the contrary, the rectangular segment 55 can havea surface without apertures.

The second metal component 23 is made in a single body and the presenceof the two flaps 49 and 50 is obtained by a bending and incisionprocess. In particular, the rectangular segment 55 is connected by theshort side to the quadrangular segment 53, forming a surface belongingto the same plane, whereas in the direction of the long side therectangular segment 55 is connected to the first flap 49. The first flap49 and the second flap 50 are orthogonal with respect to each other soas to form a double L-shaped and P-shaped configuration as describedabove.

A possible application of the present invention can provide toreciprocally connect two thermal break brackets 10 so that thetransverse adjustment wall 17 and the vertical adjustment wall 18 of thefirst and second bracket both rest against the wall 60 and that thetransverse 15 and vertical 16 joint seatings of the first bracket arerespectively connected to the vertical 16 and transverse 15 jointseatings of the second bracket. This solution allows to support higherloads.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made tothe thermal break bracket for a support frame for covering elements asdescribed heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of thepresent invention.

1. A thermal break bracket to attach a support frame to an attachmentwall of a building, the thermal break bracket comprising: a firstcomponent, facing during use toward the attachment wall, made of polymermaterial and with a thermal break function between the inside and theoutside of the building, and a second component made of metal, thatconnects the first component made of polymer material to the supportframe, wherein at least the first component made of polymer material hasat least one transverse adjustment element and at least one verticaladjustment element to adjust the assembly position on the attachmentwall.
 2. The thermal break bracket as in claim 1, wherein the at leastone transverse adjustment element and the at least one verticaladjustment element to adjust the assembly position are the eyelet type,made separately on one or more surfaces of the first component made ofpolymer material.
 3. The thermal break bracket as in claim 1, whereinthe transverse adjustment element and the vertical adjustment elementare made in surfaces of the second metal component in a position matingwith a corresponding transverse adjustment element or a correspondingvertical adjustment element present on walls of the first component ofpolymer material.
 4. The thermal break bracket as in claim 1, whereinthe first component of the bracket, made of polymer material, consistsof two parts, able to be selectively coupled with respect to each otherin the assembly and joining step to the second metal component of thebracket.
 5. The thermal break bracket as in claim 4, wherein each partof the first component is substantially L-shaped, in which a first wallof the L is configured to be disposed, during use, substantiallyparallel to the attachment wall, while the second wall of the L isconfigured to be disposed, during use, substantially orthogonal to theattachment wall.
 6. The thermal break bracket as in claim 4, wherein thetwo parts are obtained in the form of a monoblock and are connected toeach other by a connection tongue.
 7. The thermal break bracket as inclaim 4, wherein each of the two parts comprises a respective jointseating, wherein the joint seatings are mating and complementary witheach other for reciprocal coupling and connection.
 8. The thermal breakbracket as in claim 4, wherein each of the two parts comprises a firstsurface or wall, lying on a first plane, and a second surface or wall,lying on a second plane, angled with respect to the first plane.
 9. Thethermal break bracket as in claim 8, wherein during use, the thermalbreak bracket has at least a T-shaped configuration in which therespective first walls of the two parts are disposed aligned with eachother and resting on the attachment wall, and the respective secondwalls of the two parts are disposed adjacent to each other andorthogonal to the attachment wall, so as to define an interspace betweenthem suitable for the insertion and the attachment of the second metalcomponent element of the attachment frame in a position distanced fromthe attachment wall.
 10. The thermal break bracket as in claim 8,wherein during use, the thermal break bracket has at least an S-shapedconfiguration in which the first wall of one of the two parts isdisposed resting on the attachment wall, while the other of the twoparts is positioned so that its first wall is adjacent to the secondwall of the part and the second wall is resting on the support frame.11. The thermal break bracket as in claim 8, further comprising at leasta fireproof element disposed positioned at least above one wall of oneof the two parts.